Bus/Downtown Express/Downtown

Questions in reverse order:

1)If I am playing downtown (which I am planning on), and I want to go from say, the El Cortez to Main Street Station (might as well get the comps people rave about for betting $5-$10), is it OK to walk, or would I be better off catching a cab in getting to downtown locations?
2)What is the best way to get from the Strip to Downtown? I read about a "Downtown Express" bus and a "train-like" vehicle on a couple of websites, but it wasn't very clear on the transit times, etc.

Thanks for any advice.

1. Just walk. It will take about ten minutes. The exercise will do you good.
2. The Deuce (the brown two-story buses) go from downtown to the Strip on a frequent basis. You can catch it at the transit center on Stewart Street or there is a bus stop on Fremont and 5th (the Strip). I'm not sure if the "express" stops at the latter. I never bothered with the express one and just get the next bus available.

This is what I've used:The Deuce

What a lousy name, but it does what you need. It looks like it is now 24 hrs a day - it didn't used to be.

Quote: PGBuster

1)If I am playing downtown (which I am planning on), and I want to go from say, the El Cortez to Main Street Station (might as well get the comps people rave about for betting $5-$10), is it OK to walk, or would I be better off catching a cab in getting to downtown locations?

If it's day time, I'd walk. It's about three long blocks, though, which you may consider if it's too hot as well.

Quote:

2)What is the best way to get from the Strip to Downtown? I read about a "Downtown Express" bus and a "train-like" vehicle on a couple of websites, but it wasn't very clear on the transit times, etc.

The monorail does NOT reach Downtown.

The Strip and Downtown Express (SDX) bus, if they haven't changed its name yet, is your best option. I don't recall where it stops on the Strip. You can check it out at the RTC site (I don't recall the URL). If there's a ticket vending machine at the stop, then the SDX stops there. Anyway, it amkes fewer stops on the the Strip and reaches Downtown faster than the Deuce. Also, you don't show, buy or swipe tickets getting on, so boarding is faster as well.

I think you can expect an SDX to show up every 15-25 minutes or so.

The El Cortez is one block east of Las Vegas Blvd. The map on the El C web site makes it look like two blocks. The WoV Downtown map that I drew makes it look like it's on the corner of LVB.

My map indicates that the Fremont Street Experience is 4 blocks. That accurately shows the location of the overhead video system. It neglects to indicate that the pedestrian mall is an extra block, extending all the way to LVB.

THEREFORE, from El C to Main Street means you're only walking along one block of "city" sidewalk, and 5 blocks of mall.


Like the Wiz said: Walk it.

Quote: PGBuster

2)What is the best way to get from the Strip to Downtown? I read about a "Downtown Express" bus and a "train-like" vehicle on a couple of websites, but it wasn't very clear on the transit times, etc.

I would highly recommend the Strip & Downtown Express (SDX) bus, though its utility varies based on your location and time of day. The line operates from 9am-12:30am and runs approximately every 15 minutes. During busy hours it tends to run every 10-12 minutes, late at night and early in the morning it's closer to 20 minutes. The bus only makes a handful of stops between the major resorts on the Strip and downtown, so a ride from the Wynn to Fremont typically takes less than 20 minutes. From the MGM Grand it's about 30-40 minutes (much faster than the Deuce, which has so many stops it's often 1hr+ to get downtown). The SDX does not require every rider to swipe their pass on entry (they rely on random checks), which also speeds things up. The only real downside is fewer opportunities to get on/off the bus. Here are the main stops on the route:

Mandalay Bay - Excalibur/MGM Grand - Bellagio/Paris - Wynn/Fashion Show Mall - Stratosphere - Golden Nugget/Binions

The Tez to MSS is about 6 standard city blocks. It's an easy walk for me, but YMMV. Your taxi driver will not like you if you try to ask him to take you such a short distance.

There are two mass transit options to get from the Strip to downtown - the Deuce and the Strip-Downtown Express (SDX). The Deuce are the double decker buses. They head to the Strip from Fremont & LV Blvd S. (just west of El Cortez and just east of the carcass of Neonopolis). They make lots of stops. It runs 24-7. The SDX are the train-like bus thingies. They head to the Strip from Fremont & Casino Center (right outside Binion's). They make fewer stops and run 9 AM - 1 AM (approximately). Both run about every 15 minutes, but when they actually arrive is subject to traffic. Both stop on Fremont & 4th heading north. You can get some information on these routes from www.rtcsnv.com.

Quote: Wizard

2. The Deuce (the brown two-story buses) go from downtown to the Strip on a frequent basis. You can catch it at the transit center on Stewart Street or there is a bus stop on Fremont and 5th (the Strip). I'm not sure if the "express" stops at the latter. I never bothered with the express one and just get the next bus available.

Oh Wiz, I'm so disappointed. The transit center on Stewart has been closed for almost two years now. It's now on Bonneville.

Quote: fremont4ever

Oh Wiz, I'm so disappointed. The transit center on Stewart has been closed for almost two years now. It's now on Bonneville.

Ergh. Shows you what I know. I owe 20 push-ups for that one.

He owes me 40 push-ups. Promised to email them to me. LOL